scorecard

UK friend (well experienced in the business in the UK) opened a restaurant in Pattaya. What he hadn't anticipated was the high level of skimming of receipts, theft of food/raw materials and theft of finished meals not ordered but prepared and put aside (hidden) for staff to take home, not paid for. Also theft of furniture and equipment. Tally up the bills presented to customer compared to cash in hand every shift/day. Always up to 50% short. He tried to implement a rule that he alone checked bills before bill goes to customer, he alone takes the money, money locked in a drawer, he alone has keys. Staff rebelled with '...you not nice you don't trust your staff, don't want to work in place like this, no fun'. He discovered that he couldn't take a day off/go home early, if he did theft increased substantially. Also discovered that asking questions was a waste of time, no answers whatever.

Perhaps before you start the business you should do some research as to what legal/local regulations responsibilities / minefields are involved which you need to get right before you open.

Seems to me it's more than that. From the very first time I saw/heard her I was somewhat shocked about her discussion points, attitudes and arrogance. Then she won the PM vote, first up / day one she announced a major tax cut policy which is not logical, and toxic to folks on minimum income struggling to survive and feed their kids/keep the lights on. A nasty tax policy which would create big reductions in tax receipts, but she made zero mention of how the reduction in tax receipts would be replaced by tax receipts from other policies. Not mentioned at all, by a PM, first speech. How could a UK PM be so obviously illogicall, especially in her first speech? Not surprised she only lasted a very short time, now in the history books as the UK PM with the shortest ever tenure in history.

There are options; the disposable blue shavers (2 in a pack) from 7/11 (have their own brand name, they don't use the Gillette name), handle a little shorter than Gillette/BIC etc., but that's not a problem. The design is not attempting to copy Gillette. Work out at 20Baht for 1 razor, excellent shave, about 10 shaves per shaver. Been using them for about 5 years. Most but not all 7/11 stores have them. Worth a try. For real Gillette, if you visit Malaysia, Singapore, China and even Australia you'll find real Gillette shavers (all models) are 40 to 50% cheaper than in Thailand

I suggest this is a mixed picture. My Thai son tlks about this from time to time. Thankfully he and his good Thai wife have their 3 kids at home with them and he's devoted to their upbringing, education, family life etc., etc. He's told me before there's plenty of his male friends (with kids) who have been basically forced by their wives to go to work in factories on the eastern seaboard and in Ayuthaya, and leave their kids for granparents to look after / bring up. Why? Wive has heard about the fun of being in a factory team, the social life etc. Unfortunately the number of times they come home to see their kids seems to dwindle with many coming home only once a year.

Including check direct with insurance company re: - Driving with InterDriving permit rather than Thai license. - Driving whilst here on the Visa that your holding. And ask for an e.mail showing the answers to your questions.

That comes in his NEXT stint at PM.

Well said, clearly there is nobody ultimately in charge, keeping the RTP within some respectable behavioral boundaries and conrols and within the law.

And boring!

'Transfer out of the area is sufficient.' Beats me how senior officers see this as logical / appropriate.

Sure, and in that time many interesting lessons have been learned, world wide, how to successfully design roads that stand up in such circumstances. Time stands still!

Most times the 'throwing' isn't that bad. In an event puts lot of packing around it, jam the packing around it. I did it once, emergency situation to get from Tokyo to my office in Singapore with my desktop PC. Packed it in a hard shell s'case, a lot of packing. Arrived undamaged and no questions asked, on Cathay Pacific.

Reminds me of an offshore international bank (one office/branch in Thailand) who announced there would be a charge to enter the bank premises. For several months there was an employee at the door collecting the 40Baht entrance fee from every person who entered, customers and not customers. The Bank of Thailand found out and ordered the bank to stop it immediately and they also imposed a heavy fine on the bank. Same bank is well known world wide for practices bordering on unethical.

Quite a few members have mentioned, over many years, that on retirement they elected to continue their Thai Social Security SS membership by private payments each month direct to the SS office. Can I please ask these members to share quick details of: 1. - How they became aware that this was possible? And were they specifically informed by the SS staff it was possible to continue when they went to get the refund of their contributions? 2. - When did they complete and lodge their application to continue as per above? 3. - Was any member told by the SS staff that to continue private membership the appplication had to be completed/lodged the same day they received their refund? Or were they told that 'one day later was too late, cannot continue? 4. - Was any member given (at the date of refund of contributions or at any time) any brochure or paper handout regarding private continuation of SS membership? 5. - Was any meber aware of Article 39 in the Thai Social Security ACt which says that when members retire etc., they have 6 months to decide whether to continue private membership? Sorry so many questions, but all quite meaningful and perhaps even enlightening for other members. Thanks.

Can any member share some specific fully correct and up to dat information as to these subjects here in Thailand. Absolutely NOT looking for opinions of what 'should be', looking for factual details of the current laws, etc. Thanks for sharing.